Barcelona approves agreement with ‘Israeli’ company

• Palestinian-led movements had urged fans worldwide to pressure the club into voting "no"

FC Barcelona's Assembly of Delegates on Saturday ratified a contract with Babylon Park, an entertainment company founded in ‘Israel’, to open a children's entertainment centre at Camp Nou, after the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement called on supporters around the world to press the club to reject it.

Ahead of the vote, BDS said there could be "no business as usual" with ‘Israel’, which it accuses of “genocide in Gaza”, and urged fans internationally to pressure the club to vote no. 

The delegates ratified the deal by 252 votes in favour to 158 against, with 31 spoilt ballots. 

Spanish news agency EFE reported that about 56% of accredited delegates backed the entertainment centre, making it one of the closer votes of the day. Most other items on the agenda passed by wider margins.

Reporting before the vote described a concession of more than five years, and that length is why the assembly had to approve it. 

The club's own announcement after the vote says Babylon Park has been granted a 25-year licence to develop and operate an indoor FC Barcelona-themed family entertainment centre at Spotify Camp Nou. The two parties will also work on rolling out further Barça-themed centres across Catalonia, with possible international expansion. 

Catalan outlet VilaWeb describes Babylon Park as an international indoor theme park company originating in ‘Israel’, with venues in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Glilot, Ashdod and Beer Sheva. Goal reports it was founded by Efi Malka together with Camden Market owner Teddy Sagi, and that its Spanish operations already include a park at Westfield Parquesur near Madrid. 

Backlash

Campaigners on social media have been sharply critical of the outcome.

BDS has run campaigns aimed at sports and cultural institutions for years, arguing that commercial ties with ‘Israeli’ companies normalise its policies toward Palestinians, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, mass starvation, and besiegement.

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